One of the people I've always wanted to emulate in pursuing that dream was Meryl Streep, in terms of the different types of roles she's been able to play and the number of different stories she's been able to tell.
Viola DavisWhen Denzel [Washington] first called me on the phone after we'd just done a reading of the film ["Fences"]. He said, "Oh Viola it was so good, wasn't it?! I'm gonna tell Russell [Hornsby] to lose a little bit of weight and..." I was just sitting there thinking, why is he calling me? And I told him, "Denzel don't you tell me to lose weight!" He said, "I'm not telling you to lose weight! I can't believe you would say that."
Viola DavisIām a black woman who is from Central Falls, Rhode Island. Iām dark skinned. Iām quirky. Iām shy. Iām strong. Iām guarded. Iām weak at times. Iām sensual. Iām not overtly sexual. I am so many things in so many ways and I will never see myself on screen. And the reason I will never see myself up on screen is because that does not translate with being black.
Viola DavisDenzel [Washington] just knows the actor. He knows the process, and you don't often get that.
Viola Davis